Hearing the Voice of the Shingo Principles

5Respect Every Individual

A personal mentor once told me that anybody can respect everybody, but almost nobody can respect every single body.

The Voice of the Principle … Respect Every Individual

Few principles speak with such a clear voice, as does the principle of Respect for Every Individual. There is almost nothing that a leader, manager or frontline associate can do in the workplace that has a more immediate, positive and profound impact on the contribution of others than does the demonstration of respect for every single person. Carl Rogers, in describing the “Person-Centered Approach” to leadership, described this principle as having “unconditional positive regard.” (Carl Rogers, 1980)

The first step in showing respect is to have ...